Brevard - Lou Edith Medford Crisp Miller passed away on Monday, April 17, 2017 at the Oaks of Brevard.
Lou was born on December 30, 1929 in Swain County to the late Charlie and Laura Lollis Medford. She was also preceded in death by her first husband, Odas W. Crisp, who was the Station Manager of Southern Railway in Brevard, and her second husband, John W. Miller, a retired insurance agent.
Lou is survived by her cousin, Shirley Ann Lollis of Bryson City and numerous other cousins. She did not have any children of her own during either marriage.
Lou was a member of First Baptist Church of Brevard and she was employed by Berry’s Restaurant in Brevard as a hostess from 1959, when the opened, until 1993 when Berry’s closed. She was not only an employee at Berry’s, but she and Odas became Berry and Helen Gaither’s best friends and next door neighbors. In August of 1950, Rodney Berry Gaither was born. Lou and Odas loved him like their “adopted son” and Rodney loved Lou like his “second mother’.
Lou is also survived by her “extended family”, Rodney Gaither and his wife Leslie, their daughters, Katrina Gaither Wright and her husband Joshua, and Alexis Gaither Cross and her husband Steve; and Meredith Wright and Kannon Wright, both of whom she dearly loved and the loved her.
Lou will be greatly missed by all her knew her. Her Christian outlook on life and her strong beliefs followed her wherever she went. She never met a stranger and always had a smile on her face. Lou took things in stride and rarely ever complained. Even in the seven weeks that she refused nourishment, she still had a smile on her face when someone came into the room. Her stamina and strong will were part of who she was in life.
Our family wants to say special thanks to Rhonda Holcombe, a valued family friend and Lou’s next-door neighbor in Brevard. Rhonda mad regular visits and Lou enjoyed the company, especially in the last weeks of her life. Also, thanks to the staff of The Oaks of Brevard for providing Lou with love and comfort during her residence there, and thank you to the doctors and staff of the Med-Surg Dept. at Transylvania Regional Hospital in Brevard. We also want to commend the staff at Transylvania Hospice for the care they provided and the love and support shown for Lou and our family. It never can be repaid. God bless you all.
A memorial service will be held at 2:00 PM on Sunday, April 23, 2017 in the Moody-Connolly Funeral Home Chapel in Brevard with the Reverend Tommy Crocker of First Baptist Church of Brevard officiating. The family will receive friends immediately following the service. Interment will be at Swain Memorial Cemetery in Bryson City at a later date.
Memorials may be made to Transylvania Hospice c/o Care Partners of Transylvania,
P. O. Box 21, Brevard, NC 28712.
Online condolences may be left at www.moodyconnollyfuneralhome.com.
Moody-Connolly Funeral Home and Crematory is in charge of the arrangements.

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